[I]"Up until 1994, a cycle was defined as a bicycle, tricycle, or cycle having four or more wheels, not being in any case a motor vehicle. A unicycle seemed to be exempt from many laws applicable to bicycles.
However in 1994 the law changed, with Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 1519: The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994. In Part 1, Section 1 (Preliminary), Item 4 (Interpretation general) it states: “pedal cycle” means a unicycle, bicycle, tricycle, or cycle having four or more wheels, not being in any case mechanically propelled… "[/I]
I stand corrected! I was told that the law was in the form of an exhaustive list so I’m wrong. I guess it all depends on whether your average copper is as well-informed as Joe about velocipedes (what a great word!) and what their interpretation of “other similar machines” is, ie how nice they’re feeling on the day. Pete passed the wrong one on the wrong day I guess.
For what it’s worth if it happened to me I wouldn’t be confrontational, I’d just say that the law doesn’t include unicycles and walk away.
There is no way anything like this would go to court and be tested, so I guess we can rest easy all the same and carry on riding on pavements.
Law or no law, what the policeman did was wrong and he should apologise. We should unicycle a petition out there or sumfink.
